Stone laminated structure and method for its construction

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a laminated vertical structure. One embodiment includes a structure having a substantially vertical wall surface. A solid surface material sheet is provided that has a stone content of at least 90%, an area of at least four square feet, and an approximate thickness of between ¼ inch and ⅗ inch. In one embodiment, the thickness is approximately ⅜ inch. An adhesive material contacts the sheet and the wall surface to fix them together. In another embodiment, a method of constructing a laminated vertical structure includes providing a structure with a substantially vertical wall surface and a solid surface material sheet with a stone content of at least 90%, an area of at least four square feet, and an approximate thickness of between ¼ inch and ⅗ inch. An adhesive material is then applied onto the wall surface in a substantially uniform distribution. The sheet is then pressed onto the applied adhesive material for an amount of time sufficient to fix the sheet to the wall surface.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

The appearance of a solid stone vertical wall, such as one made of marble or granite, has long been a symbol of beauty, prestige and permanence. Constructing a stone wall, however, can be prohibitively expensive and time consuming, requiring transportation and handling of heavy and costly stones with complicated and error-prone installation procedures.

Several prior art systems have attempted to lower the expense of a solid stone wall by cladding a layer of stone onto a vertical surface of a wall using mechanical anchors. Such systems are discussed in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,765,122, 5,363,620, 5,634,305, and 6,289,647 B1. In these systems, various elaborate mechanical anchors are used to connect thick and heavy stone sheets to a wall. Because of the weight of the stone sheets and the intricacies of the various mechanical anchors, however, these systems are both expensive and complicated to construct. They may also damage materials below them, due to their weight, rendering such stone cladding unfeasible above, for example, many bathtubs, shower pans and the like.

Other prior art systems have attempted to avoid such mechanical anchors by using lightweight artificial stone, such as synthetic marble, plastic or concrete. One example of a “faux stone” sheet system is U.S. Pat. No. 6,355,193 B1. Although these systems can avoid the necessity of mechanical anchors because the sheets have a much lower weight, they can appear cheap and lack much of the aesthetic and symbolic appeal of real stone.

Additional prior art systems have attempted to eliminate mechanical anchors while retaining a natural stone facade by fixing a separate, strengthening backing, such as wood or fiberglass, to thinly cut stone on a horizontal surface before moving it or attaching it to a vertical surface. Examples of such systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,878,030, 4,218,496, 4,840,825 and 6,343,451 B1. Because these systems require bonding the stone to or formulating the stone on a horizontal backing before transport or installation, they can also be costly, complicated and time consuming.

Another system that avoids the necessity of mechanical anchors or fake stone surfaces is thin, small area stone tiles, such as, for example, four inch by twelve inch rectangles that can be cut to a {fraction (3/8)} inch thickness. Because of the small area, these thinly cut stone tiles are believed to be vertically self-supporting without the need of a strengthening backing. Tiles are typically placed adjacent each other, surrounded by grout, and fixed to a vertical surface by an adhesive. The small area of each tile, however, requires a time consuming process of applying many small tiles individually and does not have the aesthetic appeal of a solid stone wall.

Accordingly, a need exists for a stone facing system that addresses one or more of these problems, allowing for a more realistic appearance, lower cost, lighter weight, easier installation, and/or simpler construction. Other objects, advantages, features and results will more fully appear in the course of the following description.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present invention relates to a laminated vertical structure. One embodiment includes a structure having a substantially vertical wall surface. A solid surface material sheet is provided that has a stone content of at least 90%, an area of at least four square feet, and a thickness of between approximately {fraction (1/4)} inch and approximately {fraction (3/5)} inch. In one embodiment, the thickness is approximately {fraction (3/8)} inch. An adhesive material contacts the sheet and the wall surface to fix them together.

In another embodiment, a method of constructing a laminated vertical structure includes providing a structure with a substantially vertical wall surface and a sheet of solid surface material with a stone content of at least 90%, an area of at least four square feet, and an approximate thickness of between {fraction (1/4)} inch and {fraction (3/5)} inch. An adhesive material is then applied onto the wall surface in a substantially uniform distribution. The sheet is then pressed onto the applied adhesive material for an amount of time sufficient to fix the sheet to the wall surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description of embodiments of the invention will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals represent corresponding elements.

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an installed stone laminated bath surround or enclosure, according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 a is a horizontal sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 b is an enlarged, exploded view of a junction between two sheets of a solid surface material in a region 2 b of FIG. 2 a;

FIG. 2 c is an elevational view of a right side wall of an alternate embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 a is a horizontal sectional view of an installed stone laminated bath surround or enclosure, according to another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 b is an elevational view of a right side wall of the bath surround of FIG. 3 a, taken in the direction 3 b;

FIG. 3 c is a vertical cross-sectional view along the line 3 c-3 c of FIG. 3 a;

FIG. 3 d is a detailed, exploded view of a tile or wall corner as shown in the region 3 d of FIG. 3 a;

FIG. 4 a is a detailed, exploded view of a second embodiment of a tile or wall corner as shown in FIG. 3 d;

FIG. 4 b is a detailed, exploded view of a third embodiment of a tile or wall corner as shown in FIG. 3 d;

FIG. 4 c is a detailed, exploded view of a fourth embodiment of a tile or wall corner as shown in FIG. 3 d;

FIG. 4 d is a detailed, exploded view of a fifth embodiment of a tile or wall corner as shown in FIG. 3 d;

FIG. 4 e is a detailed, exploded view of a sixth embodiment of a tile or wall corner as shown in FIG. 3 d; and

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a method of constructing a laminated vertical surface, according to another embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the instant invention are directed to stone laminated vertical structures and methods for their construction. FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of an installed stone laminated bath surround or enclosure 8. Four sheets 10, 12, 14 and 16 of a solid surface material having a stone content of at least 90% are adhesively connected to three vertical walls 20, 22 and 24 between a bathtub 30 and a ceiling 40. Each sheet 10, 12, 14 and 16 has an area of at least four square feet, and a thickness of between approximately {fraction (1/4)} inch and approximately {fraction (3/5)} inch. For purposes of this disclosure, a “solid surface” material is defined as a material having a substantially uniform composition throughout its area and depth, similar to solid natural stone.

In this embodiment, the sheets 10, 12, 14 and 16 are vertically self-supporting and can be moved and installed to each wall 20, 22 and 24 without the need of a strengthening backing. A “vertically self-supporting sheet” is defined as a sheet with the ability to support its own weight when in a vertical configuration.

A lip 32 of the bathtub 30 is the upper horizontal surface of the bathtub 30, and is directly beneath the lower edges 11 of each of the sheets 10, 12, 14 and 16. A layer of silicone-type waterproof sealant 50 seals the spacing between the lower edge 11 of each sheet 10, 12, 14 and 16 and the lip 32, as well as the spacing between the upper edge 13 of each sheet 10, 12, 14 and 16 and the ceiling 40.

A shower head 60, water adjusting handle 62, and spout 64 project through openings (not shown) in one sheet 16 to allow pipes (not shown) to bring water from behind the sheet 16 into the shower area.

In the embodiment shown, each sheet 10, 12, 14 and 16 may consist of 100% granite. It is also within the scope of the invention, however, for the sheets to be composed of engineered stone, such as the type known as “agglomerate resin micro,” manufactured by Agglonord. Such engineered stone consists of finely ground stone, such as marble or granite, held together with in a resin matrix so that the natural stone content is at least 90% of the solid surface sheet. Preferably, the engineered stone consists of no more than 3-5% resin.

In this embodiment, each sheet 10, 12, 14 and 16 may be approximately thirty inches wide, five feet high, and {fraction (3/8)} inch deep. However, it is also within the scope of the invention for the area of the sheets to be larger or smaller in area, depending on the needs of the user. Thus, a solid granite or agglomerate resin micro sheet with a depth of between ¼ and {fraction (3/5)} inch and an area of four square feet or larger can be adhered to the vertical walls 20, 22 and 24. Preferably, the sheet is a nominal {fraction (3/8)} inch deep and is vertically self-supporting.

In reference to FIG. 2 a, each sheet 10, 12, 14 and 16 has an inside surface 15 facing the corresponding wall, 20, 22 or 24, and an outside surface 17 facing away from that wall. Each wall 20, 22 and 24 has a vertical surface 21 facing the inside surface 15 of each sheet 10, 12, 14 and 16. The vertical surface 21 in this embodiment may be drywall, wood, metal, concrete, tile, or any other surface capable of holding an adhesive, as will be appreciated by one skilled in the art.

An adhesive 70 contacts the vertical surface 21 and the inside surface 15 of each sheet 10, 12, 14 and 16 to fixedly adhere the sheets 10, 12, 14 and 16 to the vertical surface 21.

An appropriate adhesive would be a standard polyurethane, mortar or epoxy construction adhesive or silicone, such as is used to adhere synthetic marble to drywall. Examples of such adhesives are polyurethane adhesive marketed by PL under the trademark Premium (R); a latex hydraulic mortar adhesive marketed by Mapei under the name GRANI/RAPID; and an epoxy adhesive marketed by Axson under the name Akabond. Preferably, a non-petroleum based adhesive is used so the adhesive does not bleed through the sheets, causing discoloration. Of course, any other suitable standard construction adhesive can be used in place of the products listed above, as will be appreciated by one skilled in the art.

In this embodiment, the thinness of the sheets 10, 12, 14 and 16 and the distribution of the adhesive 70 between the drywall 21 and the sheets 10, 12, 14 and 16 allows the lip 32 of the bathtub 30 to support the weight of the sheets 10, 12, 14 and 16, even for sheets with an area larger than four square feet.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 b, one wall 22 includes a polish 23 layer between two adjacent sheets 12 and 14 and along the outside surface 17 of each sheet 10, 12, 14 and 16. This polish 23 can be applied to add shine to the sheets 10, 12, 14 and 16 and to smooth the area between the adjacent sheets 12 and 14, allowing them to appear as if they are one, larger sheet. Preferably, the polish layer 23 is a similar color as the sheets 12 and 14.

Although the sheets 10, 12, 14 and 16 are shown in FIGS. 2 a and 2 b horizontally adjacent to each other along the walls 20, 22 and 24, they may also be placed adjacent to each other vertically, as shown in FIG. 2 c. In FIG. 2 c, one wall 20′ is shown with three sheets 10′, 12′ and 14′ located vertically adjacent to each other. In this embodiment, a narrow strip 18 is shown added to the wall 20′ above the sheets 10′, 12′ and 14′. It is also within the scope of the invention for the sheets to be both vertically and horizontally adjacent to other sheets along the vertical surface of the wall.

FIG. 3 a shows a plan view of another embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, four sheets 110, 112, 114 and 116 are adhered to pre-existing tile 125 disposed vertically on the walls 120, 122 and 124. Adhering the sheets 110, 112, 114 and 116 to pre-existing tile 125 can be advantageous if the user prefers to upgrade a tiled wall to a large area, solid surface stone laminated wall without the time and energy required to remove the tile 125.

Regarding FIGS. 3 b and 3 c, a sheet 116 is shown adhering to existing tile 125 that has been scarified. In this embodiment, the sheet 116 consists of a solid surface material of the agglomerate resin micro type, with at least a 90% stone content. The sheet 116 adheres to the scarified tile 125 by a polyurathane construction adhesive 170. In FIG. 3 c, a silicone-type waterproof sealant 150 seals the space between the bottom 111 of the sheet 112 and the lip 132 of the bathtub 130. As shown in FIG. 3 d, exposed surfaces 127 and 113 of the tile 125 and the sheets 110, 112, 114 and 116 can be covered with a narrow strip 118 of the same solid surface material to hide the corners of the pre-existing tile 125.

FIGS. 4 a-4 e show alternate embodiments of the narrow strip 118 and the sheet 116 corner configuration. In FIGS. 4 a and 4 e, the wall 124 and/or exposed tile 125 can be covered by an elongated sheet 116′ projecting outward from the edge of the tile 125 and parallel to the wall 124. A thick or thin narrow strip 118′ or 118′″″ can then be adhered to the wall side of the elongated sheet 116′ to cover the exposed tile or wall corner. In FIGS. 4 b and 4 c, the sheet 116″ does not project past the corner of wall 124 or tile 125, and an elongated flat or curved narrow strip 118″, 118′″ covers the exposed wall and/or tile as well as the exposed edge of the sheet 116″. FIG. 4 d shows an embodiment where the sides of the sheet 116′″ and the narrow strip 118″″ that are farthest from the wall project slightly past the wall and are connected to each other along a diagonal cut. This arrangement allows for the rough edges of the sheets 116′″ and 118″″ to cover each other.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing one embodiment of a method for installing stone sheets to a vertical wall surface. A structure having a substantially vertical wall surface is provided at 210. If the wall surface is tile or a substantially smooth, non-porous surface, it can be scarified (212) to enhance the strength of its bond the adhesive.

A solid surface material sheet is also provided at 214. The sheet has a stone content of at least 90%, as discussed above, an area of at least four square feet, and an approximate thickness of between {fraction (1/4)} inch and {fraction (3/5)} inch. In one embodiment, the sheet is then trimmed to a desired size at 216.

Next, an adhesive material, such as those discussed above, is applied to the wall surface in a substantially uniform distribution (218). In one embodiment, the adhesive material is applied as an array of dots which may form, for example, three rows horizontally and approximately 1 inch intervals vertically (220). The adhesive material can alternatively be applied on the wall surface as a grid (222) or as a solid, uniform coating (224). One skilled in the art will understand that many other distributions of adhesive material that would bond to the sheet at regular intervals would also be effective.

The sheet is then pressed (226) onto the applied adhesive material for an amount of time sufficient to fix the sheet to the wall surface. For adhesives such as latex hydraulic mortar, the sheet need only be pressed for a matter of minutes (228). For other adhesive materials, such as epoxy adhesives, mechanical fasteners, such as nails, screws, hooks, and the like, can be used to hold the sheet in place for the several hours required for the adhesive to fix the sheet to the wall surface (230). The mechanical fasteners can then be removed (232). Alternatively, a chemical fastener, such as a fast-acting adhesive, can be used to fix the sheet to the wall surface while the slower-acting adhesive is allowed to bond the sheet to the vertical surface.

After the sheet is fixed to the wall surface, additional narrow sheets or kicker sticks can be added to hold the sheets in place (234). A sealant, such as waterproof silicone calking, can be applied in the space around the sheet, if desired, after the sheet is fixed to the wall surface (236).

Additional sheets can be fixed to the same or adjacent walls using the same process 238. A polish can be added 240 to the outside surface of a sheet and/or the space between two adjacent sheets to increase the shine and continuity between two sheets.

Although the foregoing describes the invention in terms of embodiments, the embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claims. Rather, the claims are intended to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention, and are limited only by the plain meaning of the words as used in the claims. 

1. A laminated vertical structure comprising: a structure having a substantially vertical wall surface; a sheet of solid surface material having a stone content of at least 90%, an area of at least four square feet, and a thickness of between approximately {fraction (1/4)} inch and approximately {fraction (3/5)} inch; and an adhesive material contacting the sheet and the wall surface to fix them together.
 2. The laminated structure of claim 1, wherein the wall surface comprises drywall.
 3. The laminated structure of claim 1, wherein the wall surface comprises tile.
 4. The laminated structure of claim 3, wherein the tile comprises ceramic.
 5. The laminated structure of claim 3, wherein the tile comprises stone.
 6. The laminated structure of claim 3, wherein the tile is scarified.
 7. The laminated structure of claim 1, wherein the wall surface comprises concrete.
 8. The laminated structure of claim 1, wherein the wall surface comprises wood.
 9. The laminated structure of claim 1, wherein the sheet is granite.
 10. The laminated structure of claim 1, wherein the sheet is engineered stone.
 11. The laminated structure of claim 1, wherein the stone content of the sheet is at least 95%.
 12. The laminated structure of claim 1, wherein the stone content of the sheet is at least 97%.
 13. The laminated structure of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the sheet is approximately {fraction (3/8)} inch.
 14. The laminated structure of claim 1, wherein the sheet is vertically self-supporting.
 15. The laminated structure of claim 1, further comprising: a corner surface projecting from the wall surface to form a corner therewith; a narrow strip consisting of substantially the same material as the sheet, the narrow strip contacting the sheet and the corner surface and adhered to at least one of the sheet and the corner surface.
 16. The laminated structure of claim 15, wherein at least one of the sheet and the narrow strip projects linearly beyond the corner surface.
 17. A method of constructing a laminated vertical structure comprising: providing a structure having a substantially vertical wall surface; providing a sheet of solid surface material having a stone content of at least 90%, an area of at least four square feet, and an approximate thickness of between {fraction (1/4)} inch and {fraction (3/5)} inch; applying an adhesive material onto the wall surface; pressing the sheet onto the applied adhesive material for an amount of time sufficient to fix the sheet to the wall surface.
 18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the substantially vertical surface is a tile layer, the method further comprising scarifying the tile layer before applying the adhesive.
 19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the applying comprises dotting the wall surface with adhesive in horizontal and vertical rows.
 20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the applying comprises painting the adhesive on the wall surface in a grid pattern.
 21. The method according to claim 17, further comprising cutting the sheet to a desired size before pressing.
 22. The method according to claim 17, further comprising cutting an opening in the sheet to allow a fixture to pass through it.
 23. The method according to claim 17, wherein the pressing further comprises: fixing the sheet against the wall surface by a mechanical attachment means; and removing the mechanical attachment means after the amount of time sufficient to fix the sheet to the wall surface. 